Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 14 December 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE

Dr. Sinead O'Brien:

We have mentioned St. Stephen's Hospital a number of times today. Obviously, I need to be very conscious of the confidentiality of the individuals concerned. The St. Stephen's campus is only being considered for a very small number. In fact, only one resident has expressed a wish to go to that campus. It is not actually being suggested as a suitable location based on individuals' assessed needs. That is very individualised. As we said earlier, we recognise that the premises in St. Stephen's Hospital needs significant investment. We hope that can be provided over the coming years. With regard to the individuals in the Owenacurra centre, I cannot stress enough that there has been a multidisciplinary assessment. Each individual has had nine assessments to determine the level of support and expertise they need to live a life they have identified as what they would like. They have had significant input in deciding where they would like to be based.